Seychelles Community in EU - East Africa

East Africa

Seychelles individuals and families started migrating to East Africa in the early nineteenth century. With the event of the first world war and the shipping connection, those settled in Mombasa, Nairobi, Kampala, then Zanzibar – the Sultanate, Dar-es-Salaam in Tanganyika then British Colonies. They went to work for British established colonial companies, many reaching high positions. They were regarded in high esteem by the colonial communities.

With the opening of the Kilembe copper mine, the processing plant at Jinja and concomitant need for skilled, responsible workers some 200 Seychellois were employed in various work positions.

A large number of them intermarried, took up the national citizenship after independence – because they had faced no alternatives. The Seychelles community in Uganda was hit most under Idi Amin and the wars which followed; they fled to Britain, France, Canada, Australia, South African and Seychelles. The Tanganyika was equally impacted upon independence and the introduction of one-party system; some had worked for the large Greek sisal plantations in high positions.

In Kenya they fared better as they had adopted the cross culture between colonial life and East African life and became known as "Kenya born". However, many chose to migrate as life and economic existence became more pressing and difficult.

The situation in Zanzibar was far worse – many had very important and respectable position and work. With independence, the brief new government and finally the Zanzibar Revolution which cost some estimated 25,000 lives, most fled for their lives to Seychelles, later Australia, Canada, South Africa and Britain.

From EU, Canada, Australia and South Africa they lent their support to help – contribute to the dream of African Union – the AU today and the future.

It is estimated there are some 1500 Seychellois or Seychellez in Swahili (as they are known in East African today) across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.